In any given CS2 tournament throughout 2025, we’ve had a good idea of who is going to win every trophy. Broadly, teams have become predictable, their places in the scene pretty well set in stone. I hate to say it, but this year has been borderline stale for the competitive CS2 scene.
Every so often, a team comes along and proves to be a breath of fresh air. Unknown players, strong showings, and surprise victories. At PGL Bucharest 2025, Apogee are that team. The Polish roster go into day five of the event in the 2:2 bracket, a spot in the Playoffs still on the line. On their first crack at Tier 1, Apogee stand just a single match away from a top-eight finish, after already securing flawless wins over The MongolZ and Astralis. Not bad opposition to beat on your debut.
Expectations for Apogee were on the floor before PGL Bucharest 2025
Credit: Sebastian Pandelache | PGL
Apogee qualified for PGL Bucharest 2025 through the open qualifiers, with some strong wins over the likes of NiP, Fnatic, and BetBoom along the way. Online Counter-Strike is traditionally unreliable, often producing wacky results. With this in mind, it was all too easy to write off their wins as a lucky run, which would swiftly be exposed on LAN.
It’s safe to say that no one (myself included) would have been surprised if Apogee bombed out of Bucharest in 0:3 fashion. No one would have thought any less of the team either, given the strong opposition they’ve faced. Yet, at every turn, they have surpassed expectations to give themselves a fighting chance at PGL Bucharest.
Frankly, it’s been a pleasure to watch a team of fresh faces shock some of the scene’s most established rosters. Most exciting of all is jcobbb, the 21-year-old Polish talent previously touted as a top prospect by the likes of Jimpphat. He’s got to show what he’s capable of on LAN, putting up solid numbers against strong teams. He, alongside AWPer hypex, have allowed Apogee to give such a solid showing in this CS2 tournament.
A clash with FaZe Clan awaits
Credit: Sebastian Pandelache | PGL
With some tough matches so far, Apogee’s biggest test still awaits. Their final match in the 2:2 bracket of PGL Bucharest’s Group Stage comes against FaZe Clan, a team with plenty of problems of their own. FaZe are a roster with plenty of name value, but in terms of a competitive contest, Apogee will fancy their chances based on the last few days of play.
Perhaps the most interesting storyline here is the fact that karrigan, FaZe Clan’s IGL, is married to Apogee’s sports psychologist, Anna Suder. I can’t remember the last time we got a husband-and-wife matchup in Counter-Strike – maybe it’s the first time. Apogee certainly come into this one as big underdogs, as they have every match so far. Personally, I’ve been pretty down on FaZe of late, and can see a world in which Apogee take this series and reach the PGL Bucharest Playoffs.
Ultimately, whether Apogee make it through or not, they’re an example of the new VRS system in action. They’re in attendance on merit via open qualifiers, and by getting some wins on the board on LAN, they’ve earned some precious VRS points which will make it much easier to get invited to more events in the future. Even if they lose to FaZe Clan in tomorrow’s match, it’s job done for Apogee in Bucharest. The snowball effect can begin as event invites stack up. If they keep up the form in those events, we’ll see plenty more of this team in Tier 1 going forward.